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X-rays negative after Altuve hit by pitch

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Altuve leaves the game 1:12

6/12/14: Jose Altuve gets injured on a hit-by-pitch and is unable to stay in the ballgame

By Brian McTaggart
/
MLB.com |

HOUSTON -- The Astros breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday after learning that second baseman Jose Altuve won't miss extended time after being struck on the right hand by a pitch in the seventh inning of Houston's 5-4 win over Arizona.

X-rays taken of the hand were negative, and Altuve -- who leads the Majors in hits and the American League in stolen bases -- is listed as day to day, though it's unlikely he'll be in the lineup on Friday, when the Astros host the Rays.

"The good news is the x-rays are negative, which is a sigh of relief for all of us," manager Bo Porter said. "Obviously, he's sore being hit on the hand with the ball."

Altuve, who went 2-for-3 to reach 90 hits for the season, was struck on a pitch thrown by the D-backs' Randall Delgado while trying to put down a bunt. Altuve hit the ground and was in obvious pain as assistant athletic trainer Rex Jones examined him.

"When you get hit by a 90-something-mph fastball, that hurts, especially on the hand," Altuve said. "I didn't know what happened. When I went [for an x-ray] and they said it's not anything, I was really happy."

Altuve set out to play in 162 games this season, but that goal ended when he missed Wednesday's game with a sore left oblique. After returning to the lineup on Thursday, he doubled and singled before being hit.

"I want to be in the lineup every day, but ... I know it's going to be hard to play [on Friday]," he said. "I feel really good right now, and we'll see how I feel [on Friday]."